Casa Barilla: Pasta in Central Park and VIP Andrea Bocelli Tickets!

Yesterday I took the Cool Kids to Casa Barilla, which is basically Pasta Heaven set up in Central Park for a few days. We arrived a little after the published start time of 10am. The doors weren’t open yet, so we stood in a very short line while we waited. The kids were free and I paid $5 dollars to get in. Money well spent–here’s what I got!

Surprise (to me)! For being one of the first 75 in line, I was handed two tickets for Thursday’s sold-out Andrea Bocelli concert in Central Park! And these are not just any general-admission-sit-on-the-grass tickets. They’re VIP tickets that include dinner and actual seats in front of the grass-sitters! YAY!

My $5 went to the NYC Food Bank to provide 25 meals to New Yorkers in need!

The kids and I devoured pasta dishes and Italian bottled water for lunch (with no lines), then came back later for dinner after playing in the park. YUM. I took a pasta splurge day for sure. It was the perfect occasion for Cool Newbie’s very first pasta.

We got a peek at lots of cooking classes and competitions while we ate and wandered. Maybe CB has a future as a chef?

CB and CN were thoroughly entertained for a long time at the uncrowded Piccolini Playground. They paraded around in their brand new kid-sized aprons while making pasta necklaces and rolling out fresh pasta dough to crank through the pasta maker. Delightful!

On top of this, all of the festival employees working the event went out of their way to be kind and helpful! Thank you, Barilla, for a great day and concert to come! (And I say that without any connection with the company.)

The festival continues through Friday, and if you get out there this morning or tomorrow morning (opening time is 9:30am), you just might score some VIP Bocelli tickets!